Beijing's military ambitions are "the biggest strategic challenge" for Japan and the world and North Korea poses a greater threat than ever, the Japanese Defense Ministry said today.
The white paper published by the Japanese ministry noted that Beijing regularly sends ships to areas near disputed islands in the East China Sea - reiterating that Beijing's military ambitions are "the biggest strategic challenge" for Japan and the world.
"The international community is facing its greatest trial since the Second World War and competition between states, especially between the United States and China, is expected to intensify", reads the white paper.
The document, published every year, sets out Japan's Defense position on issues ranging from tensions surrounding Taiwan to the intensification of rivalry between Beijing and Washington.
The repeated joint maneuvers by Chinese and Russian ships in the vicinity of Japan "are clearly intended as a show of force against Japan and constitute a serious concern from the point of view of national security," the ministry said.
North Korea, which frequently tests missiles toward Japan, represents a "more serious and imminent threat to Japan's national security than ever before," the document reads.
In previous years, the defense document has highlighted the need to combat regional threats, including China's growing military power and North Korea.
Japan plans to double its defense spending to reach the NATO standard of 2% GDP by 2027, although the fall in the value of the yen could affect its purchasing power.
"It appears that mainland China intends to make increased military activities around Taiwan a new normal for the region," stated the document, which also enumerated the increased defense risks associated with Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity and disinformation.
Japan is strengthening defense ties with countries in the region, including Australia and South Korea, and on Monday signed a major defense pact with the Philippines that allows it to send troops to each other's territory. .
The Philippines and Japan are both longtime allies of the US, which has been strengthening defense ties in Asia to counter China's growing military power and influence.
